Count the Days
by alolha123
Summary: Ten days. She would return in ten days. Kakashi counts the days until Rin would come back. [KakaRin] [postGaiden, preNaruto story] [Oneshot] [R&R]


Hello again!

An angsty oneshot... How many of those do I have, again? ... Anyway, it's just a little idea that popped into my head.

Also, for those who don't know, Namikaze Minato is the Yondaime Hokage, Kakashi's sensei.

Count the Days

By alolha123

-

Ten days.

Ten days. She would return in ten days.

"Wait for me, Kakashi-kun," she whispered. Her eyes softened, and suddenly, she brushed her lips against his forehead, then pulled away, joining the other ANBU. Kakashi was startled from this sudden action, though his face showed not.

He blinked once.

Brown hair flew back as she leaped out of sight, disappearing among the tall, dark trees. A sudden rush of wind caused him to shiver.

For a few moments he stared at the densely populated forest with glazed eyes, filled with past memories.

Finally, though, he turned. Kakashi realized he was the only one left at the gates, but shrugged it off and began to walk back to his apartment.

He would wait, only for her.

-

Nine days.

Kakashi had just bound a murderer. He paused. The man squirmed in his bonds, but, unable to break the chakra-enhanced ropes, he settled down and sulked at his misfortune of being caught by the Copy Nin.

Kakashi turned and glanced out the window. Snow fell from the skies and blanketed the village. Children were laughing with each other and waded in the knee-high snow. A few girls were constructing a snowman, giggling every time the stick nose fell off.

Kakashi averted his eyes. He had never had the chance to be a _kid_. Years of war and misfortune forced him to grow up quickly.

He gazed up to the snow-capped mountains.

Wait.

-

Eight days.

He crouched on top of a high, gnarled tree branch and paused a moment to recover from the three-hour chase. It was an S-ranked mission with a single objective: catch the missing nin.

Kakashi casually wiped his forehead with the back of his glove. This missing nin was quite elusive, the ANBU had to commend him for that. Kakashi had already been in several towns, only to find that his target had already moved.

In the midst of all this, he couldn't help but wonder if Rin was having the same trouble as him. Kakashi fingered the thinning scarf she had knitted him. He always wore it on winter missions.

But he shook thoughts of his teammate as he continued the chase.

The mission came first.

_Right?_

-

Seven days.

The missing nin was tricky, but definitely not someone Kakashi was unable to handle. He managed to track down and capture the missing nin in a few hours.

After all, his ANBU rank wasn't just a title.

Kakashi tugged on the chakra rope binding the missing nin, who grumbled and resumed his slow pace. The silver-haired jounin rolled his eyes in annoyance. In order to get to Konohagakure, they had to take a long and treacherous path down steep mountains and through hostile weather conditions. And at the rate they were going, it would take a year to get back home.

_Perhaps I should just use the teleporting technique,_ Kakashi mused. _That would take some of my chakra, more than usual on account of the missing-nin behind me, but it would get me back much sooner than taking the long way._

He glanced at the missing nin, who blatantly ignored his gaze. _The less I spend with this nuisance,_ Kakashi thought, _the less trouble it is for me._

And she'd be back in seven days.

-

Six days.

A cool winter breeze bit at Kakashi's exposed eye. He shivered slightly. Winter was not one of his favorite seasons.

He fingered some well-worn goggles in his hands, jagged cracks running along the surface of the glass. One side was broken, snapped in half by a rock. A clean cut.

Kakashi would never fix it. He didn't want to.

Inadvertently his left hand reached up and touched the part of the hitai-ate covering the Sharingan.

_Obito..._

_How could you?_

_You left... Sensei left... and now Rin..._

_She's the only one I have left.._

_I'll take care of her for you._

-

Five days.

Kakashi wiped the blade of his katana on a long towel. He paused, glancing at the cloth his left hand clenched. It was stained with blood, all shades.

Dark red blood, old.

Crimson red blood, fresh.

_Just like all those years ago..._

_Obito..._

_A rock..._

Kakashi shook those thoughts from his mind. _Stop dwelling on that, Kakashi! The past is in the past. You can't do anything to change it, either. You can only change the future, so you might as well focus on that, ne? _He repeated his sensei's words, over and over again.

But he couldn't help wonder...

_What if I lose her, too?_

-

Four days.

The K.I.A. Memorial Rock was one of Kakashi's favorite - and least favorite - places to visit. He traced the names carved upon the rock. Many of the names he was familiar with, but two stood out from the rest.

Namikaze Minato.

Uchiha Obito.

He was interrupted by a tap on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, sir, we have another name to carve."

Kakashi stepped back. His Sharingan eye began to twitch. A bad omen, perhaps?

A few minutes later, the sculptor stepped back, proudly - or maybe shamefully, Kakashi didn't know. He could only focus on the newest addition to the K.I.A. Memorial Rock.

Rin.

He raised his eye to the sky as it began to rain.

Drip.

Drop.

Drip.

Drop.

Rin had liked the rain.

_Sayonara, Rin._

-

_Owari_

Note: I ended the day countdown at four days. The mission was expected to go the full ten days, but Rin ended up daying before the ten days were up. Sad, I know.

Drop a review by, please! Reviews encourage authors immensly, so don't hesitate, please!

Word translations:

Hitai-ate: forehead protector

Konohagakure: Hidden Leaf Village

Sayonara: good bye

Owari: end

These translations are just what I've gathered from reading different fics and pure logic. If there are different translations for these, please PM me and I'll change it right away. Thanks!

alolha123


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